Diving duck
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Marmaronetta |
The 16 species of diving duck, also known as pochards, make up a sub-group of the biological subfamily Anatinae, which itself is part of the diverse and very large duck, goose and swan family, Anatidae. The latter article should be referred to for an overview of this very large family of birds.
Although the group is cosmopolitan, most members are native to the northern hemisphere, and it includes several of the most familiar northern hemisphere ducks.
This group of ducks is so named because its members feed mainly by diving, although in fact the Netta species are reluctant to dive, and feed more like dabbling ducks.
These are gregarious ducks, mainly found on fresh water or on estuaries, though the Greater Scaup becomes marine during the northern winter. They are strong fliers; their broad, blunt-tipped wings require faster wing-beats than those of many ducks and they take off with some difficulty. Northern species tend to be migratory; southern species do not migrate though the Hardhead travels long distances on an irregular basis in response to rainfall. Diving ducks do not walk as well on land as the dabbling ducks; their legs tend to be placed further back on their bodies help propel them when underwater.
The diving ducks, together with the dabbling ducks make up the sub-family Anatinae.
The extinct Pink-headed Duck, previously listed as Rhodonessa caryophyllacea, has recently been shown by genetic analysis to be closely related to the Red-crested Pochard so has now been transferred to the same genus, as Netta caryophyllacea.
The Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) is difficult to classify, but is now most often also placed in the diving duck group.
Seaducks commonly found in coastal areas such as the Long-tailed Duck (formerly known in the US as Oldsquaw), scoters, goldeneyes and eiders are also sometimes colloquially referred to in North America as diving ducks because they also feed by diving.
Family Anatidae
- Subfamily Dendrocygninae: whistling ducks
- Subfamily Anserinae: geese and swans
- Subfamily Tadorninae: shelducks, sheldgeese and steamer-ducks
- Subfamily Merginae: eiders, scoters, sawbills and other sea-ducks.
- Subfamily Oxyurinae: stiff-tail ducks and Freckled Duck
- Subfamily Anatinae: perching, diving, and dabbling ducks
- diving ducks
- Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris
- Pink-headed Duck Netta caryophyllacea (extinct)
- Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina
- Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma
- Rosybill Netta peposaca
- Canvasback Aythya valisineria
- Pochard Aythya ferina
- Redhead Aythya americana
- Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
- Hardhead Aythya australis
- Baer's Pochard Aythya baeri
- Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
- Madagascar Pochard Aythya innotata (probably extinct)
- New Zealand Scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae
- Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
- Greater Scaup Aythya marila
- Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
- dabbling ducksde:Tauchenten
- diving ducks